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Happy Bunny Days |
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VoI 10, issue 12 |
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April 2006 |
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2006 IVAS IS COMPLETE By Carole Oglesbee
Every three years the call goes out in Southern California for greyhounds to help with the International Veterinarian Acupuncture Society’s conference held in San Diego. During the past six months many Needle Nose Crew members from the San Diego and Orange county areas have given up time from their work, driven many miles and provided their loving pets for the identification lab work that is part of this conference. These volunteers provided 67 individual greyhounds for a total of 199 visits over 12 days of lab work. This effort would not have been possible without the terrific force of our project volunteer coordinator, Mike Bushnell. His scheduling and handling of the event was nothing short of miraculous, and we are all very grateful for his hard work on this project. In addition to Mike’s efforts, we would also like to make special note of the foster greys from Southern California Greyhound Adoption League. Although most of the greyhounds who withstood poking and prodding during the lab sessions were companions of our volunteers, 15 of the total number of greys were fosters from the SoCalGAL program. Just as a side note to all of this, 13 of the fosters have found loving permanent homes. The ordeal couldn’t have been all that bad!! In appreciation to the Needle Nose Crew for supplying the participating greys, IVAS makes a substantial donation to our organization. As was done three years ago, the Needle Nose Crew matches the IVAS donation and the dollars are then distributed to those groups from which the participating greys were adopted. The total donation dollars of $2500 will be distributed within this month and are as follows: Greyhound Connection = $218 Hemopet = $985 Maryland Greyhound Rescue = $75 Operation Greyhound = $50 Retired Racers = $50 SoCalGAL = $1122 Again, our many thanks go to IVAS for this marvelous opportunity to assist in this conference. Our appreciation goes out to Mike Bushnell for guiding us through the months of participation. Last but not least, thank you to all the volunteers, both human and canine, who helped make this a superb fundraising event for the Needle Nose Crew for the second time.
CHRISTMAS IN MARCH! By Carole Oglesbee
For many years Petsmart has had Holiday Wish Trees during the month of December. Customers can fill out ornaments for specific store items and list their favorite Petsmart adoption partners as the recipients of the donated items. It has always been delightful to receive such items at the holidays and pass them onto greyhounds currently looking for their own permanent homes. Petsmart and Petsmart Charities revamped the Holiday Wish Tree program in 2005 which enabled them to convert their donations to cash and products, and substantially increase the amount they donated. It was to our great delight that the Needle Nose Crew learned of these changes this March and accepted cash and product donations in the amount of $1354.29. Christmas is a marvelous time of year…no matter when it comes!! Now, although we are very grateful to Petsmart and Petsmart Charities for their part in increasing the amount the Needle Nose Crew received this year, we are aware that the donations all start with the generosity of our volunteers, greyhound owners and general supporters. Without those of you who filled out Holiday Wish Tree ornaments, the Needle Nose Crew would not have been in a position to receive the much needed and appreciated donation. So, from the bottom of our hearts, many thanks to each of you who thought of us during last year’s holiday season. Your generosity along with Petsmart and Petsmart Charities will be put to excellent use as we charge ahead promoting greyhound adoption, supporting current adopters and assisting other adoption programs with their placement activities. Thank you and “Happy Holidays” in March!!
HOW I BECAME A ‘DOG PERSON’! By Shasta Wilson
After having greyhounds for almost nine months, my husband and I hosted our first Show & Tell for the Needle Nose Crew. Being a show lead was definitely something that I never thought would happen. I admit that when Matt and I first visited a few of the NNC shows and events, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this whole greyhound awareness thing. Sure, NNC promotes a wonderful breed, but there was always one fear that floated to the front of my mind when I kept seeing the same people and the same dogs at every show…if I participate with NNC, will it turn me into one of those crazy dog people, too? And let me assure you that, YES, yes it will. But it’s not a bad thing! Matt and I had never owned dogs until the arrival of our two greys. We had two cats and an African grey parrot, but we both wanted to adopt a dog. On a visit to the Irvine Spectrum a week before my birthday, we happened upon the NNC Spectrum show. Within twenty minutes of talking with Katie Fisher (and hanging out with most mellow of her crew, Zipper), we knew we’d found the breed for our home. Greyhounds seemed to possess all the characteristics we were looking for in a dog, including quiet, not oily, and friendly toward other animals. So after adopting Percy in May, and Javier a month after that, both from Hemopet, we started to make the rounds of NNC shows. We attend as many shows as possible because we love to help promote the adoption of greys, and also because our two love the attention from visitors. After attending a few shows, you realize just how important greyhound awareness becomes. Many people have never seen greyhounds up close, and most families don’t immediately think of greyhounds when they start looking to adopt a particular dog. The only thing most people ever hear about greyhounds is that they run fast. By allowing people to see the nature of a grey, to pet them, to ask questions about their personalities, NNC is spreading the word that greyhounds are fun, lovable, docile dogs that make wonderful pets. Our first venture as show leads, for the Rancho Santa Margarita PetsMart show (which is literally five minutes from our house), went off without a hitch. Many thanks are due to all who attended, and especially to Roger and Sharyn Deeringer for being so wonderfully supportive. They always seem to know how to handle every situation, like where to place the x-pens, and even what to do when your dog digs a giant hole in their backyard! Two newly adopted greys, Pete and Zoe (formerly Vinmaster and Mega), were at our show, along with three members of their human family. I heard quite a few visitors comment that it was interesting to see how greyhounds interact with younger kids. We encourage all greyhound owners to come hang out at one of our shows, even if it’s only for an hour or so. The atmosphere is very mellow, and you get to tell stories about your greyhounds the whole time! Hope to see you there!
CAN YOU TOP THIS? By Joy Moss
My boy Time is an interesting greyhound. When asked to describe him, one of the first things that pops out is “stubborn”. Time loves to ride in the car... any time and any where. When we round the corner after daily walks, many times he puts the brakes on – the stubborn mule routine – as we are about ready to pass up the car. There’s no mistaking his wishes – Time wants to go for a ride - NOW! One day when I tried to rush Time and two SoCalGAL fosters up the sidewalk, he did it again. As I turned to scold him and bribe him with a promised treat if he came into the house, I was surprised – he wasn’t behind me. Following the leash upward, I discovered Time standing on the hood of the car! From stubborn mule to mountain goat in one leap! The fosters danced around me thinking this was a great new game, as I tried not to 1) worry that Time would scratch the paint, 2) fall to the ground laughing, and 3) wonder if he’d climb onto the roof. Oh, did I mention that it’s not just a little car - I drive a Suburban!! I did finally convince Time that he did not want to go for a ride on TOP of the car - that he really would not make a good hood ornament! And NO – I’m not going to let him do it again just so I can get a picture!!
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Walk Around the
Come join our Wednesday night walks.
We meet at Lake and Barranca in the
Everyone is welcome. |
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Submit an article for publication. Send your story and pictures to: Editor, Needle Nose Notes 4857 Royce Road, Irvine, CA 92612 or, e-mail to:
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Contributions and donations are always welcome. Please send to: Needle Nose Crew P.O. Box 3012, Laguna Hills, CA 92654-3012 for more information e-mail to:
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